Grid Compass
Astronaut John Creighton posing with a Grid Compass aboard a Space Shuttle Discovery mission in 1985.
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| Developer | Bill Moggridge |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Grid |
| Type | Portable computer |
| Release date | April 1982 |
| Introductory price | US$8150 |
| Operating system | CCOS (Compass Computer Operating System), optionally MS-DOS 2 |
| CPU | Intel 8086 |
| Memory | 340 KB magnetic bubble |
| Display | 320 × 240 |
| Connectivity | 19-pin "serial", Telephone line+Audio 1,200 bit/s modem, GPIB |
| Successor | Grid GridCase 3 |
The Grid Compass (written GRiD by its manufacturer GRiD Systems Corporation) was one of the first laptop computers when the initial model was introduced in April 1982 (the model 1101). The computer was designed by British industrial designer Bill Moggridge in 1979, and first sold three years later.
The design used a clamshell case (where the screen folds flat to the rest of the computer when closed), which was made from a magnesium alloy. The computer featured an Intel 8086 processor, a 320 × 240-pixel electroluminescent display, 340-kilobyte magnetic bubble memory, and a 1,200 bit/s modem. Devices such as hard drives and floppy drives could be connected via the IEEE-488 I/O (also known as the GPIB or General Purpose Instrumentation Bus). This port made it possible to connect multiple devices to the addressable device bus. It weighed 5 kg (11 lb). The power input is ~110/220 V AC, 47–66 Hz, 75 W.
The Compass ran its own operating system, GRiD-OS. Its specialized software and high price (US$8,000–$10,000) meant that it was limited to specialized applications. The main buyer was the U.S. government. NASA used it on the Space Shuttle during the early 1980s, as it was both powerful and lightweight. The military Special Forces also purchased the machine, as it could be used by paratroopers in combat.
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